Believe
by Ameyoke
Summary: Sakia Hanagami met Shinjiro on that fateful day. Now, she has to deal with his loss... But when Shinjiro wakes up, Sakia gives her life for the seal. Could there still be a way to save her? ShinjiroxSakia female pro . Slight MinaYuka, AkiMitsu.
1. Chapter 1: Meetings

Although the name I used in my game was Kaori Nagisaki, I didn't want to repeat the same thing another author was doing. I just want to use a default name! I hate naming my characters. Because~ Then the guy you like won't say your name (and because I feel at ease when I have the default name)! At least in Angelique you could type in the default, and then he would say your name. Otherwise, they would just skip over your name. OK, so for now, I chose Sakia, which is a name I like (it's from Ar Tonelico III, although I don't like the character... Same thing with Frelia), but when I find out the default name (if ever) if they ever publish the Persona 3 manga, I will change the name. I think Minako's just a cop-out because it's like the two don't live in the same universe. But~ In my mind, Minato and Sakia are childhood friends, and they have two parts of Death sealed inside of them. Also, Hamuko is just a pun, and I don't think of it as a real name. It's funny, sure, but Sakia is an elegant character, not a joke. And MShe...? Jesus, that's not a name! I now name you GIRL! Honestly, I don't know what it stands for. Oh well! That's enough of my rant~ Read the story! Oh, BTW, I added a lot of description thanks to the inspiration from my English class.

* * *

**Chapter 1: Meetings**

The first time we met… That was… When Akihiko-senpai was in the hospital. Junpei, Yukari and I had come to see him after his checkup. I gently creaked open the white door, and on the bed was not the gentle Akihiko-senpai, but someone in a dark pea coat and a brown beanie. His chin was slightly scruffy, and his eyes seemed to pierce my heart. They were angry-looking, but had a sad tint to them. We looked at each other, our gazes uninterrupted. The slightly warm spring wind whispered at the white hospital curtains and brushed the black-tinted brown bangs away from his face for a moment. I felt the draft brush over my feverish cheeks, as if it was trying to cool them down. My heart fluttered softly as I tried to calm myself to my normal composure.

"Who are you guys?" He demanded.

"I-Is this Akihiko-senpais' room? Maybe? Possibly…?" Junpei stuttered, as this man's eyes glared at him.

"Hey, you got the information?" Akihiko came through the door we had just entered.

"Yeah." He sighed. "I don't got time for this shit." The man got up from his sitting position and walked towards the door… And me. I felt a pressure on my foot as I stepped back a little, trying to get out of his way. "You're…." He directed at me.

"Yes…?"

"Nothing." He walked past me, his coat flapping behind him as he left. I didn't know why, but I felt the clock stop ticking. His coat's soft, corduroy material brushed slightly against my hand. His scent, a men's bodywash and the aftersmoke of cigarettes, floated into my nose and lasted for what seemed like a minute. And then, I heard the quiet shake of a bottle of pills…

"Oh, Junpei. Thanks for bringing me this." Akihiko-senpai took the 2-E class roster from my male classmate. They continued to talk.

"Sakia? What's wrong?" Yukari asked me off to the side.

"Nothing… Thanks." I shook my head. My name is Sakia Hanagami. I'm age 17. My birthday is November 25th, 1992. I am going to die in a year's time.

Our second meeting was at Tatsumi Port Island's backstreet of the station. Yukari had insisted that we check it out for clues on the three girl's disappearance. I didn't exactly "agree", but I had to protect Yukari. She had a hot head, and who knew what would happen.

…Well, it went just as I feared.

"Come on, let's go. These guys are scum." Yukari sneered and tried to turn away.

"Hey goatee, your girlie's a bitch! I wouldn't deal with her if I were dead walking!" The thug punched Junpei in the stomach.

"Guh…!"

"Junpei!" We both called for him. However, soon after that, one of them grabbed Yukari. I rushed over and tried to protect her.

"Ooh, another girl! Aren't you nice?" The thug laughed. I glared and pulled at his hand to get him off Yukari, but it was no use. He was a man after all. Finally, I went to plan B. This ALWAYS worked when boys were bullying me. CHOMP.

"Aghh…!" The guy jumped back. "This bitch's got a crazy bite! She should be euthanized!" He grasped his now bleeding hand and looked at me angrily. I spat out whatever skin I might have scraped up. Yuck.

But truly… I was really, really scared. I was one girl out of a whole gang of thugs, and some girls who would love to see me tortured. Well, yeah, there's Junpei, but seriously… Junpei? OK, maybe that was a little cruel.

"C'mere, you!" He was going towards me, and I stumbled back looking for something to use.

"Help…!" I whispered in my mind.

"Hey." A voice called. "Leave them alone. They didn't know where they were going. I'll make sure they leave." It was the man from that day. The new moon reflected upon his eyes as he looked at all of us. My heart skipped a beat. To think, we'd meet like this… I was somewhat embarrassed.

"Screw you, Shinjiro!" The guy tried punching the mysterious man, who apparently was named Shinjiro. However, Shinjiro was obviously a skilled fighter. He dodged the punch with ease and gave it right back to him.

"F-Fine! We'll go for today!" The thugs walked off.

"Hahaha! How lame!" The kogal girls cackled as they followed them.

"What are you doing here? This isn't a place for kids like you."

"…We came to ask about the ghost story that's going around." I tried to speak. I was still scared, and my cheeks were flushed from embarrassment.

"I see. Those girls were talking shit about some girl named Fuuka. All the crap they'd done to her…"

"So that's how that story got started!" Yukari clapped her hands once at the realization.

"Wait, you didn't know? Fuuka's been missing for a week." Shinjiro told us. "That's how the ghost story got started."

"But we thought she was just sick!" Junpei exclaimed.

"That's all, right? Now get out of here and don't come back." Shinjiro started to turn around, as our business was finished. I trotted to him and looked up to his face as I held softly onto his left arm.

"Thank you for saving us." I told him, my eyes full of gratitude. I then lowered my head a bit lower and spoke softly. "Really… Thank you." He turned his head away after a moment of looking back at me.

"Get out of here." He walked off into the distance.

"Man, that Shinjiro was scary!" Yukari told me as we ate some snacks up in my room. "His clothing, his demeanor… Ugh!" She shivered.

"Yukari." I told her. "All people have good inside of them somewhere. Some people have deeper shells than others, but you can pierce that barrier one way or another."

"Whoa… Philosophical." She laughed, surprised at what I said.

"I could tell he was a good person." I quietly chomped on a cookie as I got lost in my thoughts. "But… I felt something else."

"What?"

"…He's a persona-user."

"Wha? How do you know that?"

"I could feel a slight aura from him, so I confirmed it by touching him. I can definitely feel it."

"Whoa, nice going, that's our leader!" Yukari grinned at my accomplishment and raised her Sprite soda. "Cheers to Sakia!"

"Cheers, Yukari!" I clanked my can against hers.

"Oh, by the way…" Yukari took a sip of her soda. "About your childhood friend, Minato… What was he like as a kid?" Minato was the other Wildcard Persona-user. He and I grew up together in the same orphanage, as our parents, who were good friends, died in the same accident.

"Minato? Why?" I giggled. "You've known him for a month or two now. You should ask him."

"N-No!" She shook her head. "It's better to hear from a girl." Minato had a crush on Yukari, so I felt a little bad for him that Yukari didn't talk with him about more things.

"Well… He was a bit shy and quiet, but he was really sweet." I told her. "He'd stop me from getting into fights with the other orphans."

"Really?"

"Yup. He'd kinda pull me back and say 'Come on, Sakia.'"

"That's adorable!" She laughed. "He's so sweet."

"Isn't he?"


	2. Chapter 2: Affairs

**Chapter 2: Affairs**

"Akihiko-senpai!" I called as he came out of the convenient store holding a bag of food on the spring night.

"Sakia-chan." He said with a smile.

"Let's walk home together." I suggested, and he nodded to me.

"So, what's up?" Akihiko asked.

"…I was wondering, senpai…" I looked down at the sidewalk. "When will I… Meet Shinjiro-senpai again?"

"Shinji? You know him?"

"He helped us out a month or two ago. And I felt he was a persona user… And that he was a lot like me."

"…I'm amazed you figured it out." He chuckled. "I'm sure he'll come around some time."

"I see." I nodded to confirm his answer. "So… The girls at school think we're going out."

"Wait, what?" He jumped back. "That was off topic!"

"They're so silly." I grinned, ignoring his jab. "You only have eyes for Mitsuru-senpai." He jumped back about 4 more paces and then gaped his mouth.

"How did you-?"

"Oh come on, senpai, it was so obvious. 'Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai aren't here, so we can't go to Tartarus tonight.' Where DO you go, senpai?" He blushed and closed his eyes.

"…Mitsuru owns… Another house near here." He looked off to the side. "It's not often used by the Kirijo group, so we go there to be alone."

"Ohoho~" I snickered. "What's so great about it?"

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"…It's got a nice kitchen…"

"Uh huh…"

"A big tub…"

"Ooh~"

"And…"

"And?" I quipped, coaxing him to say the last embarrassing detail.

"…A big bed."

"YES! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AKIHIKO-SENPAI HAS JUST GIVEN THE LAST DIRTY DETAIL!" I raised my hand as if announcing something to the world. "But… Don't tell anyone, all right? If they did, we… Couldn't be together anymore." He sighed.

"Because of the Kirijo group, right? Yeah, her family might be strict." I thought it over. "I never intended to tell anyone, you know. That's for you two do do, and you two only."

"Kaori…"

"But… When Shinjiro is ready to join… Tell me, OK?" I said shyly and kicked my foot at the ground.

"All right. It's a deal."

"Please watch out!" Fuuka shouted over her persona, Lucia. By the way, nobody really knows how to pronounce her persona's name. The Japanese prounounce it "LU-KI-A". The English-speaking folk say it "LU-SI-A". And the pronounciation I use, which is the Itallian, is "LU-CHI-A". Lucia means light in Itallian, so I think it sounds prettiest that way (not to mention it's the name of a very famous mermaid).

"What's going on?" I screamed as the room at the love hotel was engulfed in white. Our entire party disappeared as we looked at that strange mirror.

"…Mm…" My fogged eyes tried to focus, but continued to flicker back to sleep. "…What's going on…?" I forced myself awake, and pressed my hand against what felt like a cushy bed. Suddenly, I heard constant drops of water. Was it… A shower? My eyes started to fog up again.

"Shinjiro-senpai…" I whispered as I saw him come into the room with only a bath towel on. He arched over me and looked into my eyes with those same, beautiful eyes that I saw when I first met him.

"Tell me… Why are you so scared…?" He whispered.

"I… I've lost everything since childhood. If I lost you, I'd just…!" I realized what I was saying. God… I thought to myself. I must really like Shinjiro-senpai… Why else would I be feeling this way…?

"It's all right. I'm here. Don't be silly." He pulled me into a sitting position and hugged me tight. Those same beautiful eyes… beautiful eyes…

…

…

…

Wait, what? Weren't his eyes brown? Not black… And they weren't just scary… They had that tint of sadness within them that made me want to hold him tight.

"Embrace your desires…" He spoke in monotone.

"No. Your aren't what I desire." I told him firmly. "And I will never give up my morals till the day I die." Somehow, the film from my eyes lifted, and Shinjiro-senpai's double was there no longer. Instead…

"Oh honey, it's your turn now…" A familiar, comic-relief voice spoke near my ear.

"…Eep!" I squeaked.

"…Eep?"

"KYYYYYYAAAAAAA!" I screamed and punched him away. "IT'S A GUY IT'S A GUY IT'S A GUY!" Oh dear. It seems that my secret had finally been revealed to the worst person ever… Junpei. He rubbed his cheek, his towel around his waist still in place (thank god).

"Wh-What?"

"PUT SOME CLOTHES ON!"

"R-Right!" After a quick dash back to the bathroom, Fuuka's voice invaded my mind.

"Oh thank goodness I got into contact with you all! There was some great interference! Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can hear you Fuuka!"

"The others are meeting on the second floor, so please meet them there!"

"By the way, just out of curiosity…" I brushed off my skirt as I spoke. "Was anyone… Acting strange?"

"Why yes, that's right! Akihiko-senpai and Mitsuru-senpai were trapped together, and they seemed odd afterwards… Same with Yukari and Minato… I wonder what happened…" Oooh, I knew what happened.

"Why the crap did you punch me?" Junpei came out fully dressed.

"I-I'm…" I blushed and looked downwards, "Kinda… Scared of guys…"

"Wait, what?" He looked as if he might start laughing.

"Shut it!" I retaliated. "Boys aside from Minato used to avoid me or bully me, so I don't have a good feeling about them… It's become a phobia."

"Ohohoho~ That's OK, Sakia-chan~ I think that's actually pretty cute."

"Nah. Somehow when you say it, it makes me bleed inside."

"Ouch…" He looked slightly hurt as I stood up and ran towards the door.

"You heard Fuuka, right? We've gotta hurry up!"

"So… What happened to you guys?" I asked the other two pairs on the second floor.

"Nothing!" Mitsuru blushed as she denied any relationship between her and Akihiko. Yeah, OK.

"WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED?" Yukari said, over-defensive. Minato was covering his face with his hand. Poor, pure little Minato. The girl he liked just walked out with only a-

"Come on, let's go!" Yukari walked boldly ahead into halls, and we followed after her.


	3. Chapter 3: Girls

**Chapter 3: Girls**

So… I like Shinjiro-senpai… What's bad about that? Nobody had to know… Only me.

The tennis club was having an training meet with Inaba High School. The people who came along were Rio, one of my best friends and captain of the Tennis team, and Yuko, a girl who was the manager of the kendo team with Kazushi.

"Hey, so…" Yuko asked while we sitting on our beds. "You know what we should talk about, right?

"Guys we like?" I added in, figuring that was the right answer.

"Bingo!" Yuko clapped her hands once and smiled. "So… Rio, we already know you, so we'll skip."

"What? Can't I say anything?" The serious Rio retaliated against the team manager.

"So, Sakia… Who's the guy you like?" Yuko completely ignored Rio and her complaints.

"Is it Akihiko-senpai?" Rio recovered and asked.

"NO. DEFINITELY NOT." I told them seriously. "He's already got a girl he likes~" I didn't say anything, so that should be fine.

"Really? I never would have expected!" Yuko said, surprised by my answer. "Wait, the guy you like… Don't tell me… Junpei…?"

"Absolutely not."

"Good…" Yuko sighed. Man, Junpei just gets the shit of the world, doesn't he? "So? Who is it?"

"You… Don't know him…" I blushed and looked away.

"Oh come on, even in this city, I'm pretty well-known, so I've got quite the gossip inventory! Now spit it out! I'll know!"

"…Shinjiro Aragaki…" The room went silent. Rio and Yuko just looked at me.

"You're… Kidding, right?" Yuko said, flabberghasted by my response. "That third year who doesn't show up for school anymore…?"

"What? What's so bad about that?"

"Well… There are rumors of him being very violent, taking drugs, and being in with the wrong crowd…" Another girl said quietly. I remembered that night when I learned his name. He saved me from those punks, he didn't help them!

"No! That's not true!" I exclaimed. "OK, he's really rough around the edges, but…! He's not the kind of person to hurt others without a reason! He only fights to protect people." Once again, the room went silent. The other girls thought to themselves.

"Hey, so Yuko, who do you like?" One of the other girls quipped in, hoping to change the tense conversation. Thank God.

"Hey, Sakia…" Rio whispered to me. "I don't believe the rumors. I'll be cheering you on all the way. I believe you." I smiled as Rio told me her feelings.

"Me?" Yuko replied. "Nobody really…"

"What about Kazushi?" One of the girls piped up.

"What? Kazu?" She shook her head. "He's like a little kid… Not a man at all, you know?" She gasped. "Oh God, I've gotta go give him his meds for his leg…" She jumped up and ran to the other room to get him.

"She says that, but she totally loves him. She just doesn't realize it yet." I snickered and put a stick of green tea pocky in my mouth. Yum.

"Here, Kazu." She sat him down in our room and gave him some of her Ramune she got from the store to swallow it down with.

"Ooh, an indirect kiss~" One of the girls whistled.

"Hey! Shut up!" Yuko blushed.

"So, what are you guys doing?" Kazu finished off his sip of Ramune and passed in back to Yuko.

"Well, we were just thinking of starting SCARY STORIES." One of the girls with glasses on put a flashlight underneath her chin.

"Oh God, no!" Yuko grabbed onto Kazushi. "STAY HERE." All the girls giggled once again at Yuko's true feelings.

"P-Please don't… I have insomnia, OK? I don't need anything else to mess up my sleep habits…" I shook my head. I was deathly afraid of any kind of scary story, even though I knew they weren't real.

"Now then… Let's begin."


	4. Chapter 4: Catfights

**Chapter 4: Cat Fights**

"Fuuka, I have something to talk about with you…" Yukari approached Fuuka after our SEES meeting.

"Oh sure, no problem." Fuuka said quietly.

"Hey guys, what are you talking about?" I joined in. "Something interesting? Or if you need something…"

"No, Sakia." Yukari shook her head. "This is a private conversation with Fuuka."

"S-Sorry…" Fuuka nodded, and they went off to Yukari's room.

"Man…" I sighed, and lay down on the dorm couch. "…It's like middle school and high school all over again…" I hugged myself against a pillow, and wiped my eyes. I didn't want to be left alone. Don't leave me out.

* * *

"I can't believe you, Mitsuru-senpai!" Yukari jumped up. We had gone for the week to Yakushima, where Mitsuru had a summer home. "You mean to say you hid this from me? Do you take pity on me or something?" Mitsuru looked down sadly.

"Takeba, that's enough." Akihiko scolded sharply, protecting his girlfriend.

"No, it's not! You hid this from me!"

"Yukari, shut up!" I yelled, frustrated with her bratty attitude. Everyone looked at me. No one excepted me to get angry.

"Sakia?"

"No, really, you're being spoiled! Mitsuru-senpai has had so much on her plate, and she didn't even know about your dad being a researcher!" I slashed my hand through the air. "And don't you even THINK about saying that you were left out of the secret. You and Fuuka have your nice little girls' secret night and leave only ME out! Don't be such a hypocrite!"

"Whoa, she's blown her top…" Junpei whispered.

"You don't understand anything!" Yukari ran outside onto the beach.

"Takeba!" Mitsuru and Minato called after her. Everyone else looked at me, not scolding, but apologetic, pitiful. I felt my face get hot from shame. Why couldn't I have just shut up…?

"Arisato… Go after her." Mitsuru asked him. He nodded.

"Sakia, are you going to be OK?" Minato leaned over, held my hand and said kindly.

"…I'm fine." I said to him quietly, not telling the truth. He knew that, though. He put his arm around me.

"Akihiko-senpai, could you make sure Sakia gets her medicine before bed and get her back to her room?"

"Oh, sure."

"How old do you think I am…?" I chuckled sarcastically. "I may have the direction sense of a peanut, but I can at least find my room-"

"But you might forget to take your medicine." He smiled and stroked my head. He then ran out the door after Yukari.

* * *

"So… Two of these, huh?" Akihiko shook the bottle of my night meds. They were sleeping pills. Not only did I have a hard time sleeping, I always had bad dreams. That's why I had to take them, especially at stressful times like this.

"Yeah… One on weekdays, two on weekends. "I told him. "Two really knocks me out, and if I wake up early, I'm really groggy. Since we're on vacation, this amount should be OK. Just don't expect me up by 6:00, OK?" I laughed and swallowed the pills with some lukewarm milk.

"Do you want me to read you a bed time story?" He laughed, and I did too.

"No thanks- My dreams'll twist it into something scary and I'll never want to hear it again."

* * *

"Ugh… What time is it…?" I wiped my eyes. "Oh…? Already 9, huh? 12 hours of sleep is good for me…" I plopped on the bed and closed my eyes. "No, Sakia… No matter how scared you are, you've gotta go…" I jumped up and got dressed in my summer outfit.

* * *

"Oh, Sakia, good morning." Mitsuru greeted me normally. All the girls had already sat down for breakfast, except for me.

"Morning." I said back and sat down at the breakfast table. Yukari was silent to both me and Mitsuru. Great, now I was getting the silent treatment.

"So, um… Us girls are going to go see the wild life while we were here. Oh, the boys are still asleep, so I think it'd be nice for a little girl's outing." Fuuka said cheerfyly. I nodded shyly.

"That sounds good."

Tensions were still high between us all as we went to the rainforest. Fuuka stood in the middle of us all.

"Oh, look at that!" She pointed. "That's a wild lily. Isn't it beautiful?" Silence. Fuuka sighed.

"Hey, Sakia…" Yukari finally broke the white noise. "…I'm sorry about leaving you out. That was mean of me."

"I was really hurt, you know…?" I kicked my foot on the ground at a pebble.

"…Sorry."

"Thanks." I nodded. "Just don't leave me out like that again, OK?"

"Yeah." She smiled.

"Good, you made up!" Fuuka was ecstatic. "Now, Kirijo-senpai and Yukari-chan, make up please!"

"…" The both of them stayed silent. Suddenly, I felt a presence from behind me.

"I've found you!" A girl with a white turtle-neck-like thing on her neck and blonde hair hugged me tight. I was surprised by this girl.

"My name is Aegis." She looked me in the eyes. "I've searched for you."


	5. Chapter 5: Summers

**Chapter 5: Summers**

At Nanagaki shrine, the summer festival was in full blast. Yukari, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Aegis and I had decided to go together. While we were there, we met up with Junpei, Yuko, Kenji and Rio.

"Oh, yukatas wouldn't look good on Rio!" Kenji announced as we were talking about yukatas. "This is Rio we're talking about."

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" I barked, and he looked at me confused.

"What? She said it herself!" He patted Rio on the shoulder. "I've known Rio since we were kids. She was like a sibling to me… A male sibling."

"Male… Sibling…?" She whispered quietly.

"Do you have no feelings?" Yuko scolded him.

"Junpei! Take him away!" Yukari demanded.

"I got it, I got it!" He pushed Kenji away and started suggesting they go see those guys who they intended to meet up with.

"It's OK, guys… He's just really dense." Rio smiled and laughed. Man… I wish I was as strong as Rio. Strong enough to watch him with another woman, strong enough to be called a GUY. Rio's strength of heart never ceased to amaze me.

* * *

"Oh no!" I cried at the summer festival at Nanagaki Shrine. "My geta's strap broke…"

"That's no good!" Fuuka said and stopped applying the band-aid on her foot.

"N-No! Really, I can walk still!" I clenched my toes on the foot with the broken strap to keep in clinging to my foot. "See, I- Whoa!" I tripped over the already hard-to-walk-in geta and smashed on the ground.

"Sakia!" Yukari called for me. I pulled myself up, my butt stinging from the fall.

"It's fine… I'll just walk barefoot or something…"

"That will not do. I shall carry you." Aegis approached me and was about to lug my on her back.

"N-No, please! That would look weird…" I shook my head furiously. "Oh no… My geta went flying when I fell."

"Aegis and I will go looking for it." Mitsuru, the sexy beauty in the dark blue yukata and her hair in a high ponytail suggested.

"What the hell is all the noise?" A man's voice sounded through the night.

"Shinjiro-senpai…!" I said surprised.

"You again…" He looked exasperated as he approached me. I looked down.

"I'm sorry…" I whispered quietly.

"Don't worry. I wasn't scolding you." He said gently to me. "What's wrong? Why were you all yelling?"

"Aragaki. Oh, well, Sakia lost her geta…" Mitsuru said to her old friend.

"Geta? You mean this geta that came flying down on top of my head?" He held up the broken shoe.

"That's mine!" I exclaimed. He looked at me sarcastically.

"And why was it flying through the air?" He said teasingly. "Were you trying to read the weather?"

"I wasn't!" I rebutted, secretly having fun with his humor. Then, he kneeled down in front of me as I was sitting at the gazebo bench. He took my foot and checked it over.

"Hm…" He looked at my foot, and slightly stroked it as he released it.

"Ah…!" I yelped slightly, my face red. He looked up at me strangely. "Oh, no, I'm really ticklish…!" I shook my hands, trying to convince him I wasn't a pervert. Because I'm not, OK?

"Here." He took a handkerchief out of his pocket and ripped it in half.

"Wait, is that all right?" I asked, worried for his belongings.

"It's fine. It was just a scrap anyway." He tied the cloth over and over again, filling the hole that was in my geta and also making a strap. "Here, trying it on." He gently slipped the geta on my foot. I felt like a Yukata-clad princess.

"It's staying!" I smiled, happy that my geta wasn't broken anymore.

"It should stay till you get home, at the least." Shinjiro assured me.

"Thank you!" I made sure to give my thanks. "Um… Would you like to walk around with us…?" I could have sworn I saw a slight blush flash over his face.

"Nah… I'm looking for something…"

"Looking for something? Then let us help!" Fuuka insisted.

"Well, no… It's not a something, it's someone…"

"Someone? Like who?" Mitsuru asked. "Akihiko?"

"Don't be stupid." He swifted his head. "I'm looking for a dog. I feed him once in a while." He put his hand on my head and patted my hair. "Don't kill anyone with your shoes, OK?"

"I won't!" I blushed at his teasing and laughed.

"How's Aki doing?" Shinjiro asked Mitsuru off to the side. "Is he eating well?"

"Yeah. He eats a lot of meat and not just supplements." She assured him. "I'm his girlfriend. Have some faith."

"Girlfriend?" He chuckled. "Well, it took you two long enough. And her? How is she eating?" He pointed towards me as I talked with Yukari and Fuuka.

"Her? Oh, Sakia." She giggled. "She eats really well. She eats quite a bit after all the exercise in Tartarus."

"Good food?"

"She's a health stickler. Her motto is 'One starch, one meat, one veggie'. She usually forces salad onto others."

"Good for her." He laughed softly. "It looks like I can leave the dorm to her." Shinjiro started to walk away when Mitsuru spoke.

"Do you have a message for Akihiko?"

"…Eat more vegetables." He turned his head and disappeared into the crowd.

"…Roger." Mitsuru closed her eyes.

* * *

"Hey guys! I'm back!" Junpei greeted, and Kenji was no longer around.

"Where's Kenji?" Yukari asked.

"He went back, and Rio was waiting for him. I got a text from him saying that he apologized to her."

"Aw, that's sweet." I giggled.

"And I see you picked someone else along the way." Mitsuru smiled.

"Hey." Akihiko looked at them. "Ken, Koromaru and I came to find some food for dinner."

"Koro-chan~" I hugged his nice, straight-haired body, warm and comfy. Suddenly, he started licking between my toes. "Koro-chan, that tickles~~~!" I laughed.

"He's licking the cloth Aragaki gave her." Mitsuru observed.

"He says, 'Shinjiro feeds me good food'." Aegis reported.

"Shinji? He was here?" Akhiko sat down on a bench with Mitsuru as the others socialized at the other side of the shrine. He leaned against her.

"Yeah." Mitsuru inched her hand next to Akihiko's. He softly placed it over hers and grasped it, showing that he was glad to see her.

"Did he have a message?"

"Yeah. Eat more vegetables." She giggled.

"That's like him." He looked up at the night sky. "Mitsuru."

"Hm?"

"You look beautiful." He turned towards her and fiddled with the hair in the front coming down from her ponytail. She closed her eyes and breathed in his compliments. It felt like a thick haze that floated through her chest, like a fine sake.

"Aren't you glad you came?" She whispered.

"Yeah." He cooed lovingly. "By this time next year, we'll be able to do this without having to take a detour." Akihiko kissed her neck underneath her chin. "Are you wearing the perfume I gave you?"

"You can tell?" She chuckled. For a present while he was away at boxing camp, he had bought her some nice perfume. It wasn't too expensive, and it wasn't a scent Mitsuru had ever smelled. Her household only had the most expensive perfumes, after all.

"I want to eat you up." He smirked and kissed her lips.

"…Then I'll see you at the Chateau tonight?" Mitsuru referred to their meeting place.

"Yeah. I doubt we'll go to Tartarus tonight."

"…I'll feel so good to get out of this stiff Yukata." Mitsuru grinned mischievously and pulled at her yukata's neck line, revealing a bit of her breast bone. Akihiko got up and stroked her face.

"I'd better get some energy food for tonight." He snickered and called over the others.

"Don't forget the vegetables." She corrected him.

"Which one gives you the most energy in bed?" He said seductively with a laugh.

"Ginger is said to be an aphrodisiac."

"I'll get some in both of our dishes."

* * *

For all you people who don't like Mitsuru and Akihiko… I am so sorry… XDDD I took lots of the ideas and dialogue off of the drama CD for P3P. However, I edited things in there. Of course… Did you REALLY think they'd put a canon pairing in the drama CD? I jumped up and down at the ShinjiroxSakia scene when I heard it. Everything in that scene happened except for the ticklish part. However, I tried putting myself in Sakia's shoes (literally?). BTW, I've started doing a book on tape. You can find it at my Youtube channel.


	6. Chapter 6: Revelations

**Chapter 6: Revelations**

Ding dong ding dong. The bells of the school played that familiar melody, and I hopped up from my seat. I slung my messenger bag over my shoulder, put on my outside shoes, and started walking to the gate.

"Ah, Hanagami." Akhiko stopped me on my way out.

"Akihiko-senpai? What's wrong?" I tilted my head. Today, he held a briefcase. It was a bit odd.

"I have an errand to run. And you're coming too." He started walking towards the train that brought us to Paulownia Mall. The place we arrived was not familiar to me, however. It was Hagakure ramen, a place I'd only been once or twice to sample their noodle selection.

"There you are, Shinji." Akihiko approached Shinjiro Aragaki, the man who I had not seen since the summer festival.

"…Long time no see." I said, half-sarcastically. He looked at me awestruck, amazed to see me again.

"…Listen, no matter what you say, I'm not joining again, Aki." He glared down his childhood friend.

"Well, sorry. You have no choice. Ken Amada. He's joined us as a Persona user." Akihiko explained, quickly unbuckling the clasps off of the briefcase. He pulled out the evoker, the thing that looked like a gun. The owner of Hagakure didn't seem to notice.

"No shit…?" Shinjiro said in shock. "…All right, I'll join." He stood up and looked down at me from his 6 foot height. "I'm Shinjiro Aragaki. I'll definitely be of help, but I have my own way, so don't try and change me." He glared slightly, but I held my ground. "Let me ask… What are you fighting for?"

"I fight… For my world, and the people I love." I looked at him, trying to send my message to him. You don't have to fight alone, I spoke through my heart.

"Hmph." And so, Shinjiro walked home with Akihiko and I. Somehow, I felt the urge to reach out to his hand, to make him feel wanted in our group… But I couldn't muster the courage as I walked the path back to the dorm silently with these two important people in my life.

* * *

For a month, our feelings grew. We went out to dinner together, Shinjiro-senpai made a dinner party for everyone, we took walks with Koromaru… I was so happy. Even in Tartarus, we fought together. I felt much more determined with him by my side. But now and again, he would start coughing a horrible cough, and tell me that he was leaving everyone to me… It scared me. Stay with me.

"Akihiko-senpai, welcome home!" I called from the stairway and walked down to greet him. "How was Chidori at the hospital?"

"…" He stayed silent, with a grim and sad look on his face. "Sakia… You feel something for Shinji, right?"

"Wha-"I blushed. "…Yes. He's very dear to me."

"Sit down and stay calm. I want you to listen to me." He put his hand on my shoulder and sat down across from me.

"What is it, Akihiko-senpai?"

"…" He couldn't bring the words to his lips. "…Shinji had trouble controlling his persona in the past. And after a certain incident, he's been blaming himself this entire time for it." He said quietly. "There are some persona-users who didn't ask for their powers, and because of that, their personas go berserk on them. Oh, but Shinji isn't one of them…"

"What are you trying to say?"

"…Those persona users take pills to stop their persona from killing them. But those pills have horrible side-effects…"

"Is Shinjiro-senpai taking those drugs…?" I asked, feeling the icy anxiety creep through my throat. My stomach, however, was enflamed with worry. A cold sweat began to moisten my back and arms. I didn't want to know the answer…

"…Yes."

"…What are the side-effects…?" I asked, hoping it was different from what I imagined.

"…Within a year or so… The user will die." A dagger was impaled into my heart, and my ears heard the horrid sound of glass breaking.

"Why…?" I looked blankly at the ground, my eyes empty with shock. "Why does he do this to himself…? Doesn't he care about what's going to happen to all of us…? His childhood friend, Akihiko, his friend, Mitsuru… All of his underclassmen who look up to him… And…" A tear fell from my eye onto my lap. "What about me…?"

* * *

"You should start heading back… It's getting cold." Shinjiro had told me as we stood in the park. He saw that my jaw was clenched from the drop in temperature.

"But… I want to stay here longer with you." I whispered, the cold air lifting my words into puffs of steam. He looked at me gently.

"C'mere." Shinjiro opened his large jacket and motioned for me to come inside. I hugged him softly as he wrapped the jacket around my body and held me against him.

"Promise me…" I said quietly.

"Hm…?"

"Don't ever leave… We'll always be together, right?" I placed my head against his chest. "I never want this feeling to end…" I felt him grip me a bit tighter with his arm.

"…Dummy." He cooed into the autumn wind. "…I promise."

* * *

"What are you going to do?" Akihiko asked me.

"…I can't tell him…!" I cried. "He doesn't want to be changed…! I can't be bossy! He hates girls like that…!"

"Hanagami…"

"But I…! I don't want him to go…! Anything but that…!" He was my friend. He was my caretaker when I got sick. He was the one I loved!


	7. Chapter 7: Desires

**Chapter 7: Desires**

"Shinjiro-senpai…" I told him on that night of October 2nd. He looked up at me.

"Hm? What's up?" He glared slightly. "You should be spending your time with the others… I'm not worth your time."

"I love you!" I said very bluntly.

"Gah…? Wha-? What the crap are you saying? Don't joke about that!"

"It's not a joke! I love you, senpai!" I declared, my hand on my chest.

"You idiot…!" He blushed. "Listen… Don't be so loud about it! This isn't the place you-"

"Then let's go to my room."

"Are you retarded?" He whispered harshly. "Y-You're an unmarried woman… Doing that is…"

"Then I guess we'll have to go to your room, senpai." I wasn't ready to back down. Scratch that… No matter what, I wouldn't back down.

"Kh…"

I arrived in his room. It was very simple. Besides the bed and the dresser, there was no décor. I rubbed the watch he gave me and faced towards him.

"You really are a piece of work, you know that? Being all selfish…" He turned away for a moment, but then looked at me straight on. "Well, two can play at that game." I took a sharp breath. Shinjiro-senpai grasped me in his arms and held me tight. I felt his warm breath infect the pores of my skin, making me feel intoxicated.

"I don't know how this happened… Whenever I'm asleep, awake, I always think of you… Damn it…! It wasn't supposed to be like this." He hesitantly let me go and looked in my eyes. "You understand now, right? Now go back. Otherwise… You won't be able to go back." I understood what he was speaking of. If I stayed here, I would no longer be pure. I would feel his love inside of me. I would have to accept the sins he had made, and live them with him. But… I was prepared for that since I first met him that day.

"I'm not going back." I told him. He sighed tiredly and placed his hand on my cheek. I closed my eyes and stroked it.

"…Just so you know." He told me. "I'm not stopping."

The near-full moon reflected on his muscular chest as he lifted his black shirt from his torso, and then unbuckled his pants. He approached me on his bed, my skirt and jacket on the floor, and fiddled at my button-up shirt. One by one the buttons released, revealing my breasts, covered in a white bra. Usually, I would have worn a sports bra… Maybe… I knew this was coming. He unlatched the hook on the back, and my soft, formed breasts were revealed to him. He took his hand and cupped one of them in it. My large breasts fit perfectly in his large, but gentle hand. He took his other hand and stroked the curves of my body, making my face turn red with pleasure. The sensation of his skin touching mine, even if we hadn't done the real act yet, made my heart flutter.

"You're beautiful…" He kissed my cheek, and I felt the soft texture of his tongue slightly as his lips parted.

"…Is this your first time seeing a woman's body…?" I asked. He got a scarlet flush on his cheeks.

"…I've seen pictures before, but not real…"

"Pervert." I softly giggled.

"But… None of those models or whatever… They never were as beautiful as this." He seemed to be amazed and interested, searching every crevice of my body with his.

Everyone thinks Shinjiro-senpai is a rough and scary person. But I know the secret. He is truly kind, and full of love and passion. He caressed my body softly, kissing every part, bottom to top. Foot. Ankle. Knee. Hip. Stomach. Breast. Collar Bone. Neck. Cheek. Ear. Forehead. And then… The lips. He let me know that I was loved. He let me know that I was the one he loved more than anyone in his life.

"I love you, Sakia…" He held me against his chest as we cuddled after our pleasure.

"…I love you, Shinjiro-senpai…" I listened to his heart beat strong. Please don't let this fade away. God, please… I don't know if you even exist, but please… Don't let his heart disappear.


	8. Chapter 8: Blood Stained Moon

**Chapter 8: Blood-Stained Moon**

"Where are Ken-kun and Aragaki-senpai?" Yukari asked all of us before the mission.

"Oh, Aragaki-senpai contacted me earlier. He said that he'd meet up with us later." Fuuka reported. I felt a strange sensation in my chest… What was it…?

"Junpei, go find Ken-kun. It's punishment for last time." Yukari referred to when Junpei was captured in chains by Chidori.

"OK, OK!" And so Junpei ran out.

"Everyone else, let's head to the site. We need to find that shadow." Mitsuru told us and requested for me to set up the party.

"But I… Always fight alongside Shinjiro-senpai…" I said quietly.

"Sakia, what are you saying?" Yukari patted me on the back. "He'll be back soon. If he isn't back by the battle, then just fight with someone else this time."

"…Yeah. I guess. But…" I couldn't shake the feeling. I now realized what it was. Fear. "Mitsuru-senpai, Akihiko-senpai, Yukari-chan, can you join me this time?"

I ran. I ran. I ran as fast as I could through the night. Mitsuru-senpai had just told us about Shinjiro's persona killing Ken's mother.

"No, Ken…! Aren't I your friend…?" I cried in my mind. "If you truly care about me, please, let him live…!" I knew. I knew. I knew that Shinjiro-senpai would give his life. That's what he had been planning the entire time. I realized. I realized.

STAB. I felt a horrid sting like a poisoned blade slash my heart. What was this…? A heart attack…? No… Something else. And that made my fear only increase.

My legs aching with fear were not as fast as Mitsuru, Fuuka, and Yukari. They arrived at the backstreets of Tatsumi Port Station, one of the first places we met. Their bodies provided a barricade… I couldn't see. As I walked forward, the girls moved out of my way with painful faces. Ken-kun stood dumbfounded, and there on the ground… Was Shinjiro-senpai, drowning in a pool of his own blood.

"…Takaya did it, not Amada-kun…" Fuuka spoke these words so I wouldn't blame Ken. I knew that. I knew that Takaya shot him. I knew what happened, but… If Ken hadn't called him here…!

I walked, my legs as weak as a newborn foal. I stumbled to where he was, and fell on my knees in front of him, my knees soaking in blood. I held him, unable to sob, unable to scream. It was too much… I held him in my arms as my tears dripped on his face.

"…Guh… Don't cry… Sakia…" He tried to lift his hand to wipe my tear streams from my face. I merely looked heartbroken at him, my voice not able to speak. "This is… How it should be…" I finally gained my movements again. I shook my head slowly, not believing what was happening.

"No… You promised…" I choked. He smiled softly.

"Sorry…" He stroked my cheek weakly. "Come on… Smile… Don't cry…" He repeated his statement, and I tried my best to force my lips into a smile. He made a short sigh, as if he was satisfied.

"Sakia…" He whispered. His hand fell from my face onto the cold pavement, and I shook my head furiously.

"No…!" I sobbed. "No…!" I held him tight.

"C-Call an ambulance!" Fuuka said in a panic.

"Yes!" Mitsuru agreed. However, we had to wait for 10 minutes or so till the Dark Hour ended and we could call an ambulance. The men in white suits tried to take him into the car.

"Please, let me go with him!" I pleaded. They agreed, and let me ride beside him.

"Senpai…!" I held his hand tightly. He was still warm. There was a chance! There had to be. "Senpai…!"

"Get him to the ER! Stat!" The doctor ordered, and Shinjiro-senpai was wheeled off.

"No!" I screamed. "Don't, don't!"

"Sakia!" Yukari and Minato held me back.

"Don't take me away from him…! I'll never see him again…!" I fell on the floor in tears. "Give him back…! Why…?" I spoke cut phrases between sobs. Why couldn't I do anything? If I had realized it before…!

"Um… Sakia-san…" Ken approached me. I looked at him with the furious eyes of a demon, but clenched my teeth on my lip.

"Ken-kun…!" I said, trying not to go berserk. "I will kill you if you do not leave me alone right now…! That I promise you…!" The eyes of Thanatos flashed at the 10-year old boy, and he stepped back.

"Ken, head back to the door for today. She can't take it…" Minato hugged me tight with Yukari.

"Rest up, and once she's gained her composure, we'll talk about what to do next." Yukari choked with a sob in her throat. Not only was she grieving over the death of Shinjiro-senpai, she cried over her friend, who had become like this.

"Senpai…!" I sobbed, running out of breath. "Senpai…!"


	9. Chapter 9: When I'm Alone

**Chapter 9: When I'm Alone**

"Sakia-san…" Ken-kun had returned to the dorm, and I had ignored him the entire time. I couldn't let my anger out. I couldn't…! "Do you… Want to kill me…?" He asked softly. We stood in the dorm's 2nd floor hall. I looked at him dully, but with fury reflecting in my eyes.

"Maybe, but what would that do?" I spat softly at him.

"Then do you want to hurt me? …You can, you know." I walked up to him and pushed him over, furious by his statement.

"Of course. Of course I want to hurt you and make you share the hospital with Shinjiro-senpai." I told him angrily, looking down on him. "But that would waste senpai's sacrifice. That wouldn't make him happy." I reached out my hand to lift him back up. "Someday I will forgive you. But not now. When you decided to kill Shinjiro-senpai, you not only betrayed him, but you betrayed me, and everyone else in the dorm."

"…I understand. I have passed on the hatred of my loss to you now, Sakia-san, and everyone else…"

"OK, we're going out now." Yukari walked beside Minato on Christmas Eve, putting on their coats to go see the tree. Since the beginning of autumn, they had started to go out. Lucky him~ "How 'bout you, Fuuka?"

"Actually, yeah… I'm going to see the tree with Keisuke-senpai."

"Ooh, getting' hot on Christmas~"

"N-No! We're going to take pictures." Fuuka blushed. They were part of the photography club with Minato, after all.

"Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai aren't here… Did they have dates?" Minato looked at the coat rack, where their coats had already been taken.

"Sakia, what are you going to do?" Yukari asked gently, trying to be careful of how she phrased the question. Christmas in Japan was a holiday for lovers, after all.

"I'm…" I whispered. "I've got something to do tonight. I'll see you guys later."

Mitsuru Kirijo breathed on her hands, her breath puffed into the sky. It was around 6:00 in front of the big Christmas Tree at the Paulownia Mall.

"…Mitsuru." Akihiko spoke up as they looked up at the tree. "I got you a Christmas present."

"…I did too!" She pulled herself back to reality and pulled it out of her side bag. It was a medium box, with a red and green bow on top. He creaked open the cloth-padded box to find…

"This is…

"…It's a bracelet from the Kirijo Group." She explained, blushing. "My father had intended to give it to the man I was to marry."

"…Mitsuru…"

"I want to introduce you to the Kirijo Group and my mother after graduation, after this is all over…"

"Funny…"

"What?" She looked at him angrily and stomped her right foot towards him.

"No, I mean…" He pulled a box out of his pocket and held her hand. "I wanted to propose to YOU."

"Akihiko…!" Her face went red, and tears filled her eyes.

"Mitsuru Kirijo, will you take this normal man to be your husband and love you forevermore?" He said seriously as he held her hand tightly in his, showing her the ring that was inside. It was the the one Mitsuru had wanted to wear someday, the diamond in the middle, rubies around the outside.

"Yes…!" She sobbed. "Yes, of course I will…!" Akihiko embraced her and choked up.

"You've made me the happiest man in the world…!" He kissed her. "Mitsuru… We… Don't have families anymore."

"…Yeah."

"So… Let's make a family together." Akihiko whispered in her ear.

"…" She looked at him, surprised by his statement. She knew what he meant. No condom. And then… A link to join their new family together. A child. "…Let's." She smirked mischievously and they kissed each other's lips. That night and the morning after, Mitsuru-senpai and Akihiko-senpai did not come home.

I creaked by the other patients in the hospital, trying not to catch a doctor's attention.

"Um, I-" I stuttered a few minutes earlier. "I need to visit…" I had researched the names of the patients beforehand. "Juri Rakugawa."

"Rakugawa-san, correct?" The nurse flipped through her papers and pinpointed the name. "She's in room 456." 456. The room next to Shinjiro-senpai's. They'd never notice… right?

Softly, I opened the white door. Man, dejavu. Isn't this how I met him in the first place…? Except instead of seeing him sitting on the bed, full of life, he was silent except for the machines that made him receive oxygen. I sat next to him and spoke softly.

"…Shinjiro-senpai…?" I whispered. "It's me, Sakia." I stroked his hair away from his eyes. The nurses hadn't been cutting his hair… It was getting longer and longer… "I just came to say hello. I really… Miss you." That was all I had to say. "What are you dreaming about?" I smiled, keeping a positive face for him. "Something fun? Or beating up shadows?" My face went soft. "…You missed my birthday, you know…" I pouted and put my knees so my legs made an acute angle. "…I'm being a good leader. So is Minato. We work together. So…" I trailed off once again. I couldn't think of a constant topic to talk about. Something fun, something happy… I couldn't do it.

I held his hand in mine and stroked it. "You're the idiot." I scolded him. "Don't do everything yourself! You shouldn't have to give up your life! You hurt so many others in the process!" I finally got to say it, but I kept my voice low, so that it didn't startle him and put him in more danger. "…Senpai… I love you… Merry Christmas." I placed a box in his personal belongings drawer. I hoped that he would get to see what it was someday.


	10. Chapter 10: Romeo and Juliet

**Chapter 10: Romeo and Juliet**

Nyx had appeared. I floated into the Dark Hour sky to find Nyx's core. Swallowed by the being, I levitated inside, finally finding it. I had the hearts of all my friends by my side. And then, I felt it. A heart warmer and more loving than anyone else's.

"Let's do it. Right?" Shinjiro-senpai said encouragingly and held my naginata with me. I felt my stomach get nervous, sad, and relieved all at the same time. My heart fluttered like a migrating bird. Thank you, Shinjiro-senpai. I needed to protect this world where you are still living, no matter what happened to me. I placed the evoker to my head and pulled the trigger. I felt my energy blast away…

Valentines day. A day for lovers. Again. And once again, I sneaked into the hospital room.

"Here, chocolate. I made them." I said cheerfully. Then, my face went serious. "…I think… I'm going to die soon." I said softly. "I think I used my energy to seal Nyx away, and… Well, I don't know… But… Come back soon, OK?" I felt tear suddenly drip down my face. Then, it all broke down. I started sobbing.

"I'm not smiling!" I told him, trying not to yell. "I'm crying, Shinjiro-senpai! I'm crying, so come back here and scold me!" I fell on his bed and sobbed. "Please…! Please…!"

Aegis held my head on the rooftop. I felt so powerless, so tired…

"Shouldn't you go see Minato, too…?" I asked without energy. Minato was feeling the same thing I was. We were going to die of the same thing. We each had a part of Death within us, and now…

"He is waiting for Yukari-san at the observatory roof, correct?" She confirmed. Yes, Minato had made a promise with Yukari. He would be waiting somewhere else for her. It was a place that was important to them. They had spent their lovely Christmas together there. "I shall wait."

"…I see…" I covered my eyes with one of my arms. Was this it…? But the door slammed open. I removed my arm and looked with a bit of the energy I had left. No way…

"Shinjiro-senpai…" I whispered. Aegis politely stood up to leave us alone. She closed the door softly behind her.

"Haah… *cough* *cough*" He panted and coughed at the same time, and ran where I was. He held my body in his arms, so weak and thin. "I can't believe you'd make the sick person do all this…" He smiled jokingly. Shinjiro pulled something out of his jacket. "I got both of your presents. These chocolates from Valentines, and…" He lifted the necklace from underneath his jacket. "This locket with your picture. It's awesome…" He laughed softly and stroked my hair. "When I was asleep… I saw you. Your crying, your smile…" He said to me and stroked my eyes, wiping away the tears. "You're tired, right…? Sleep right here. I'll be with you." I tried to keep my eyes open, but with the warmth of his body and the comfort of his words, I drifted off into sleep. The warm sunlight seemed to kiss my skin as he embraced me. I felt the stone of the rooftop brush against my fingers, and the heat of it absorb into me. His breath gently petted my eyelashes as they closed.

"I'm so glad I met you." I heard him whisper as I lost all vision of his beautiful face.


	11. Chapter 11: Not Over Yet

**Chapter 11: Not Over Yet**

All of the SEES ran up to the rooftop, where Shinjiro senpai hugged tightly onto Sakia's corpse's torso.

"What… Happened to her…?" Junpei asked in horror.

"She gave up her life to seal Nyx." Aegis reported, sad that this had to happen. Shinjiro kept gripping her when a glow started to emanate from her body.

"Wha-?" Her body disappeared in the balls of luminous glow, flowing into the sky.

"…She is gone." Aegis reported. Ring ring. Junpei's cell phone went off.

"Hello?" He answered the phone. "Yuka-tan? You gotta get over here, Sakia's-"

"Junpei!" Yukari had a sob in her throat. "Minato's…! Minato is gone…!"

"Wha-?"

"Aegis! Did Arisato disappear too?" Mitsuru exclaimed.

"…Affirmative."

Back at the dorm, everyone sat on the couch. They looked very grim.

"This is unfair…! They did so much for us, and…!" Fuuka cried into her handkerchief.

"…It was Sakia's choice." Shinjiro stood up and started to leave.

"Shinji!" Akihiko said when KNOCK KNOCK. Mitsuru went to open the door. A girl with a 70's style dress and beret was at the door.

"Hello." She greeted. "My name is Elizabeth. I have come from the Velvet Room, young persona users."

"So, only Sakia and Minato could see you?" Yukari confirmed with the Velvet Room attendant who sipped at tea that she was offered by SEES.

"When I was in the Velvet Room, yes." She placed her tea cup on the saucer. "…I see that Sakia and Minato have gone to become the seal."

"…Yes." Mitsuru said sadly.

"Would you like to get them back?" Shinjiro gasped as he stood against the wall.

"Is there a way?" Yukari said desperately. She wanted her boyfriend back, no matter what.

"Yes. I will use my power to bring you to the dimension where they are. Would you like to hear more, Shinjiro Aragaki?" Everyone looked at him, and he sat down at the couch.

"Go on."

"Understood." She smiled. "There are a few steps in the battle…" She projected a graph on the table with her powers.

Infiltrate the seal room

This should be easy if I can unlock the codes fast enough. It will take a little while to hack in, so protect me while I do this.

Cut open seal.

To slice open the seal will take a long time. Fight at it until it breaks! However, this is one of the hardest parts. I do not know if it will break…

3) Create a new seal

This will be the hardest thing for you to accept. To create a new seal to lock away Nyx, you will have to use your persona's full energy. That means your persona cannot take form anymore, no matter what you do. You will become a normal human.

"Wait, so… We're going to lose our personas?" Junpei said in shock.

"Chidori lost hers, and she's still alive… Does that mean…" Yukari confirmed.

"Yes. Personas are a part of you, and cannot die unless you do. Therefore, they will live on, but not take form." Elizabeth told them.

"I'm for it!" Yukari stood up. "I won't let Minato run out on me! Not now! Not ever!"

"Sakia and Minato are our friends! We can't let them die!" Mitsuru and Akihiko said with determination.

"I agree! I have to pay them back for what they did for me!" Ken nodded.

"Me too!" Fuuka held her hand to her chest.

"Arf!" Koromaru jumped. Junpei gripped his fist.

"Shinjiro-san? You are the only one left." Aegis asked. He scratched his head and pulled off his jacket.

"Are you guys retarded?" He laughed. "There's no way I'd let her stay for eternity in a dead shithole like that! She's my woman!"

Elizabeth had teleported all of the SEES to the dimension of the seal at midnight. Although the dark hour was no longer there, this was the only time the dimension was open. The dimension was a place of much contrast. Although the "sky" was grayish with clouds and fog, the "floor" looked like blue slices of glass, sealed underneath the hard, indestructible flooring. Elizabeth trotted over to the keypad floating in the air next to a grand royal blue and white door and began looking at the code hints written on her arm.

"Once I press this button, monsters will most likely come to attack. Are you ready?" She confirmed.

"Ready!" Yukari nodded with a determined look on her face. Elizabeth flicked her finger at the start button.

"Code 1: The shadow defeated on the train!"

"These are riddles?" Junpei exclaimed as a giant lion-like monster ran up to attack the SEES members.

"Quickly, answer!"

"Priestess!" Yukari yelled as she pulled an arrow back and shot it.

"And the letters of the alphabet in numbers!"

"What?" Akihiko questioned.

"…I see! 16-18-9-5-19-20-5-19-19!" Mitsuru spouted out of nowhere.

"How did you do that so fast?" Ken slashed at the lion with his spear. Mitsuru, the high school genius, had figured out the riddle. Every letter has a number, 1-26.

"Correct! Code 2: Name of the man who gave the Social Link of the Sun!"

"Wait, that guy's name was…" Junpei got a brain block in the midst of battle.

"A-Akinari! That was it!" Yukari yelled back to Mitsuru for her to decode.

"1-11-9-14-1-18-9!" Mitsuru said as she pulled the trigger of her evoker to summon her persona.

"Dammit! I don't think we can hold this guy off for much longer…!" Junpei slashed at the giant lion, who roared and swiped his paw at the high schooler. He jumped out of the way just in time.

"Last Code! The combined first names of the ones Minato and Sakia find dearest!"

"Whaaaa?" Junpei exclaimed. "Seriously? That's like, what the crap man?"

"YukariShinjiro!" Shinjiro yelled out to Mitsuru.

"…Right!" She nodded, a bit surprised. "25-21-11-1-18-9-19-8-9-14-10-18-15!" Buzz. A few computing noises were created as Elizabeth placed in the last code. The lion disappeared into a puff of light, and the door to the chamber was opened.

"Thank… Jesus…" Junpei sighed with pure relief that he wasn't lion chow.

"Minato… Even when you're asleep, you're thinking about us, aren't you…?" Yukari covered her face and cried. "Minato…!"

"Sakia… We're coming." Shinjiro raised his axe onto his shoulder and passed through the door with the others.

"Minato!" Yukari called to her boyfriend. What she saw as she entered the room was a a large blue sphere with both Minato and Sakia floating inside.

"Let's get them out of there!" Shinjiro slashed at the sphere. "Sakia…! Get out of there…!"

Suddenly, a light flashed and blinded the team. Two figures appeared.

"What are these?"

"They're their favorite personas. They've appeared to protect them." In front of them stood Minato's persona, Orpheus, and Sakia's, Alice.

"I guess we'll have to break through them!" Akihiko got into his Southpaw stance.

"We'll take care of these enemies! Shinjiro, Yukari! Go on ahead and break the seal!" Mitsuru turned around and yelled. They nodded and ran ahead.

"Haaa… Haaa… *cough*" Shinjiro and Yukari had been fighting for hours, but still, they could not rip open the seal. In fact, they could not even scratch it. It was a blue plasma that bounced back whenever they hit it.

"If we can't defeat this thing soon, then Junpei and everyone else will…!" Yukari tried raising her bow once again in her tired hands. "Minato…!"

"We might have to retreat…" Elizabeth said sadly. However, just then, a light flashed in front of her. "Impossible…!" The three looked at the light coming from the seal where the two were held. "Before there were two life forces in there, but now… There are three!" A glow came from Sakia as she slept in a fetal position. "Now's your chance! The seal has weakened!"

"Haaaah!" Shinjiro raised his axe and slashed the blue orb, while Yukari shot a holy arrow. Like a balloon, it popped, sparkles of energy floating out.

"Now!" Elizabeth called. "Everyone, put your personas together and seal Nyx before she gets out!" As Orpheus and Alice retreated back to their owners, everyone joined hands in a circle (even Koromaru, who jumped on his hind legs).

"Persona!" They yelled. Their power raised from their bodies and all the personas joined together. Penthessilea, Caesar, Cerberus, _, _, Lucia, and Isis gathered, and smashed together against the dark form that was Nyx. The group heard Nyx's evil cries as their personas and Nyx were sealed away forever. The dark place suddenly turned to pure white. Sakia and Minato floated softly down from their prison that had now vanished. When Minato came down, his knees met the ground, and just as he was about to fall on his face, Yukari hugged his torso and held him up.

"Thank god…!" She hugged him tight and sobbed. "Thank god you're back…!"

Like a princess rescued, Sakia's light body fell into Shinjiro's arms softly. He did not cry. He did not smile. He just hugged her body and placed his face against hers.

"Welcome back." He said softly and brushed his lips against her cheek.


	12. Final Chapter: Overcoming Everything

**Final Chapter: Overcoming Everything**

Darkness. Darkness. It continued for what seemed like a few minutes and nothing more. And then, I flickered my eyes painfully open, barely able to keep them open. All I could see was a white ceiling. Where…?

"Sakia!" A familiar voice called my name. I tiredly turned my neck towards the sound.

"Shinjiro…senpai…?" Tears dripped from my eyes. "You're alive…!"

"Idiot. That's what I should be saying." Shinjiro, coat off, held his head in his hand.

"…Where am I…?"

"Tatsumi Hospital. You were unconscious for a week."

"Wait, but I…!" I realized what happened and sat up quickly. "I was supposed to die after sealing Nyx, and…!"

"Don't worry." He patted me on the head. "We can't use our personas anymore, but we saved you and Minato."

"Eh…?"

"Minato…!" Yukari cried happily and hugged his warm body as he sat up in his hospital bed.

"Yukari, that's too tight…!" He softly laughed and hugged her back.

"You promised to take my loneliness away, dummy." She looked at him sadly in the face. "So you can't leave."

"Yeah." He held his arms around her, and then stroked her cheek with his left hand. "I'm sorry about that. I won't leave you anymore." He kissed his girlfriend lovingly on the lips.

"I'm glad you're awake." The doctor walked in the room where Shinjiro sat by his lover's bedside.

"Doctor…"

"Is there anything wrong with her?" Shinjiro asked him.

"No, not at all. It must have been fatigue." He flipped through his clipboard. "And Shinjiro, we finished your analysis. The effects of that drug you were taking…"

"…How is he?" I exclaimed, demanding to know. This was the turning point. He could live, he could die. It was up to fate. Shinjiro grasped onto my hand and held it tight.

"…Amazingly, his lungs and other organs are just fine." The doctor smiled. "The drugs effects seemed to have worn off since he was in the hospital so long. He'll be able to live a happy and long life… As long as he doesn't start them again."

"Senpai…!" I hugged his hand to my face. "Thank god…!"

"I can't believe this…!" He laughed, not believing what he just heard. He hugged me to his body.

"And for Sakia's examination, there was one surprising thing…" He looked at a paper. "Sakia, how long has it been since you went to the doctor's?"

"A year, I guess."

"And you haven't noticed anything strange with your body?" I shook my head.

"Is something wrong with her?" Shinjiro said urgently.

"Oh no, not at all. In fact, it's quite a good thing." He smiled. "Sakia Hanagami, you're pregnant."

"I-I what…?"

"Wait, she what-?"

"When did you copulate last?" The doctor asked, not blinking an eye.

"…Um… The beginning of October…" I blushed.

"Well, although it is rare, there are times when women do not notice when they're pregnant. Did you get your period?"

"No… I was really stressed when Shinjiro-senpai went into the hospital, so I thought-"

"Well, that's understandable. Not to mention, some women don't gain the usual weight and don't feel the normal symptoms."

"How far along is the baby?" Shinjiro asked nervously.

"About 6 months."

"Is it all right?" I exclaimed. "I-I've been really active! Is there chance of a miscarriage?"

"It's all right. We did an ultrasound, and the baby looks good. Would you like to take a look?"

All of SEES, including Yukari who held Minato by his shoulders to keep him balanced, stood in front of my bed and watched the ultrasound come into action. It was a mold in clay, a being that was living inside of me. The baby's heart beat strongly and healthily.

"Aragaki… It's the mini-you." Mitsuru said dumbfounded as she looked at the life form on the screen.

"…A mini-Shinji, huh…?" Akihiko pondered seriously, almost nervously.

"Aw, shut up." He blushed furiously.

"But senpai, are you really ready for fatherhood?" Yukari asked him.

"Is no one going to ask Sakia that? I-I mean motherhood!"

"Sakia-san's the leader. Of course she's ready." Ken laughed, nervously trying to look Shinjiro in the eyes.

"You haven't finished high school, and you don't have a job." Mitsuru said, concerned. "What are you going to do? You can't support a family like this."

"Even so, I want this kid." He said firmly. "It's Sakia's and mine." I felt my heart flutter as I looked up at him. Did he just say that…?

"…I got it." Mitsuru smiled. "The Kirijo Group will support you while you two finish high school. After that, you two go to college and get good jobs. Shinjiro, if you need a job with us, I know that I'd like my household to have you as a chef."

"A Kirijo Chef, huh…?" He pondered the idea seriously with a smile on his face. "Sounds like a good plan. Sakia, you want to go to college for acting, right?" He rubbed my tummy softly, as if he could feel the baby's heartbeat.

"Yeah. Is that OK?"

"Of course."

"Wait a second, I just realized something…" Fuuka put her finger to her chin. "Elizabeth said during the fight that a third life was helping break the seal. Could that third life possibly be…" Fuuka looked at the ultrasound screen. "The baby?"

"And so, I'd like to welcome you all back to Gekkoukan…" The principal said sleepily at his speech at the opening ceremony. I sat down next to someone very familiar. He slouched back in the plastic chair, the front two legs lifting off the ground. His shirt was slightly unbuttoned, and his jacket was open. His tie was loosely tied, his shirt wrinkled. This was my fiancée. This was Shinjiro-senpai. Since he had missed the majority of year three of high school, he was forced to repeat if he didn't want to drop out.

"By the way, why did you not drop out?" I asked him as we sat in the courtyard after the ceremony was done and we were released.

"…Does it really matter…?" He turned his eyes away.

"No, really, I want to know!" I smiled as I jumped down from the courtyard wall, skipping around him.

"…I want to make sure that other guys don't hit on you." He blushed.

"Seriously?" I laughed happily and spun around in a circle, not able to stop my laughter.

"Shut up!" He grabbed my arm and pushed his hand against the back of my head, pressing his lips to mine. I could feel how he felt. He didn't want to let go. Our lips enveloped each other, over and over. We went like that in this silence for a minute at the least.

"Your lips… They're still as warm as ever." I told him softly.

"Of course they are." I sat on his lap as he cradled me in his arms, giving me eternal comfort. My heart floated as he embraced my body.

"You're not going anywhere, are you?" I whispered as the sakura flew past my lips.

"That's my line, dummy." He smiled as the wind pushed back his bangs, like the time we first met. My face warmed as I hugged myself to him.

"Ah…!" We both gasped, feeling something bump against us.

"Was that…?" He asked me quickly.

"Yeah!" I said happily, placing my hand on my stomach, what was against him. "The baby's kicking." He placed his hand on mine and closed his eyes, feeling it with me.

"Our Najika."

"Yeah. Our rainbow." She saved us with her light. She was the proof of our love, and the trials we had overcome.

Time had passed. 2 years. Shinjiro and I now lived together in Tokyo with our 2-year old daughter, Najika. Shinjiro, now 20, stood in front of my college, where I went to major in singing.

"Shinjiro!" I exclaimed as I jumped down the steps.

"How was class?"

"I got an offer from a record company!" I showed him a peace sign.

"Congrats! That's my girl." Shinjiro held our daughter in his arms, and they both smiled at me.

"Thanks for coming to pick me up." I hugged Shinjiro's arm and kissed them both. Shinjiro worked for the Kirijo group as their chef. The group had moved themselves to Tokyo after Mitsuru Kirijo married Akihiko Sanada and had their first daughter, Misuzu. Now it had been announced that their second daughter, Akane, was on the way. Ichiro, a very intelligent man who we had conflicted with once before, had turned over a new leaf and taken over the Kirijo Group at Tatsumi Port Island. Mitsuru trusted him; After all, he was now the husband of her most trusted handmaid and friend, Kikuno.

"Any time." He reached out his hand to me, and I gripped on. This was our life. We had survived. Our story didn't end. It was just beginning. We, along with our family and friends were walking down the road, no one scared to put their foot forward.

Our love was one that would never die.

THE END

If you would like to read more about the AkiMitsu, I'm splitting off the parts of this fic with AkiMitsu and adding on stuff into a new fic (since apparently some people didn't like the AkiMitsu… YOU FOOLS!)

Well, I'm not exactly proud about the style of writing I did in this story. I think I didn't add enough description. I wanted to, trust me, but somehow it just didn't come out. I can only hope that it's as vivid in your mind as it is in mine.


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